Welcome back to Israel – let’s do some exploring!
The Old City
Yosef and his father had a surprise for the Eggs. They boarded a bus that took them to the Old City.
“We are going to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel,” he said proudly. “It’s called the Old City.”
“Why is it called that?” asked Seggourney.
“Because it was originally built in 1004 BCE and it is surrounded by ancient walls. It is very beautiful,” he replied with a huge smile.
The first thing the Eggs noticed as they arrived outside the city was the large entrance gate. It was a magnificent structure built of stone with a tall, grand opening. Shelly began to explain that there are 11 of these gates around the city, but this one was called the Jaffa Gate. They entered the city with awe.
Hustle and Bustle
As they entered the city, they were met with street vendors of all kinds! The smells of delicious food, the clothing, jewelry, and other merchandise greeted them with a loud embrace.
“Oh my,” said Ms. Poach. “This is amazing!”
The Ramparts
After some exploring eating, and purchasing of goods, Yosef took the Eggs on a walk high above the city. He led them to the Ramparts, which is a walking path on top of the city wall. They saw a view of the city like no other.
“Wow,” exclaimed Reggie. “Look how high we are – this is awesome! We can see everything from here!”
“I have never seen a view like this!” Greggory replied.
They continued along the Ramparts and eventually ended back up on the streets of Jerusalem.
“That was breathtaking,” said Ms. Poach.
Tunnel of Shiloh
The last part of the day was spent on a tour exploring the Tunnel of Shiloh. It is an amazing engineering achievement carved out of solid rock. The tunnel was built as a channel to bring fresh water into the city.
“It’s sure dark down here,” said Ms. Poach nervously. “Will we see any creatures?”
“No,” chuckled the tour guide as he lit a torch for more light. “We’re perfectly safe. Your ankles will get a little wet, though, due to the leftover water that runs through.”
The group continued following the tour guide, wading in the water, until they came out the other end and back into the city. They made a few quick stops to purchase some food and items in the marketplace to take back to the hotel.
“What an awesome day in a marvelous city,” remarked Coach Flo.
The bus ride back to Tel Aviv was filled with conversation about everyone’s favorite part of the day!
Family Activity
Research the Old City:
· It is a hub for three great religions – can you name them?
· What kind of merchandise and food is sold there?
· What are the names of the other gates?
· What was the original intent on building the Ramparts?
· Where did the water come from for the Tunnel of Shiloh?
Enjoy exploring these questions!
See you next week as the Eggs wrap up their visit to Israel!
Shalom!
Wishing you all GOOD things,
Sandy
